Circuit-closing push-button.



I R. J. JACKSON. CIRCUIT CLOSING PUSH.BUT.TON.

APPLICATION HLE Dv APR. 17. 1916. I

Patented May 22, 1917.

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ROBERT J. JACKSON,0F PEIIIADEIlPI-IIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OI- ONE-HALF TO wRIsDoN H. JENKINS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CIRCUIT-CLOSING PUSH-BUTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

' Application filed April 17, 1916. Serial No. 91,738.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT J. JACKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Closing Push-Buttons, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to electric push buttons and the general object of the invention is to simplify the mechanism of the ordinary push button and to substitute in place of the delicate brass contact springs ordinarily used, a brass coil spring which may be readily replaced in case it loses its resiliency or is otherwise out of order and provide means whereby this coil spring is housed at all times and protected.

A further object of the invention is to provide a push button of 7 this character wherein it is relatively easy to make conncctions and wherein all the parts are permanently connected to each other in the sense that the push button does not have to be dismembered in order to engage the conducting wires therewith.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of my improved push button; and

Fig. 2 is a face view partly broken away.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates a base which is made of hard fiber or other suitable insulating material having any suitable dimensions and mounted on this base by the screws 11 are the flat contact members 12, each of which carries the binding screw 13. Disposed upon the base 10 is a covering plate 1 1 made in two sections and preferably made of brass or other like material. The two sectionsare hinged to each other at 15 and perforated'for the pas- 17 which are adapted to engage in the screw holes 18 formed in the base 10. The middle of the plate 1 1 has an upwardly extending domical portion 19 formed integral therewith and arching over the contacts 12. It is to be understood that the plate 11 has a downwardly extending marginal flange 20 which supports the body of the plate above the contacts 12, the base 10'be1ng recessed or rabbeted at its edge to receive this flange.

Detachably disposed through the center of the domical portion 19 is a cylindrical housing 21 having a flanged end 22 which may have screw-threaded engagement with thecentral aperture of the'portion 19, and the upper edge of which is slightly flanged or forced outward. Operating within this cylindrical housing'21. and moving through the contracted neck thereof is a plunger 23 which may be made of hard rubber or other suitable insulating material and which carries the metallic disk at adapted, when de pressed, to bridgeacross the contacts 12 and electrically connect these contacts. The up,- per end of the plunger 23 is provided with ahead 25 of'any suitable material, but which may be made of brass and extending downward from this head andfitting smoothly within the cylindrical casing is a barrel 26. Disposed within the housing is a spring 27 which at its upper end engages beneath the head 25 and urges the plunger. upward. Nor- I mally the disk 24 is raised upward within depression of the push button the contact members 12 will be electrically connected.

This device is intended particularly for use as a push button with electric bells but it may be used under any other circumstance in which a'push button is used. It will be seen that the spring 27 is relatively long, has therefore a considerable resilis ency and cannot readily get out of order. If it should loseits resiliency it is a relatively easy matter to detach the head 25 from the ste1n 23 and withdraw the plunger and then replace the spring. I Under ordinary circumstances however, the member 14 is never entirely disengaged from the base 10, nor are the parts disassembled. If it be desired to attach wires to the binding screws 13 it is only necessary to release the screw '16 and raise upward upon the free section of the plate 1 1, which will draw.

upon the hinges 15 disclosing the contact .the various parts of this device can be cheaply made, readily assembled and that they constitute a thoroughly effective switch or push button for the purpose described.

What I claimis:

1. A switch of the character described comprising an insulating base, contact members mounted upon the base, binding screws electrically connected thereto, a covering member disposed upon the base and having an upwardly extending central portion extending over the contact members, a cylindrical housing having a contracted neck and removably inserted in and housed by the upwardly extending portion of the covering member, a plunger extending through the cylindrical housing and having a conductive disk at its lower end adapted When depressed to bridge the gap between the contact members, said plunger extending upward through the cylindrical housing and having a head at its upper end, a cylindrical housing member attached to the head and fitting Within the first-namedcylindrical housing member, and a coil spring disposed Within said housing members surrounding the plunger and bearing upward upon the head.

2. A switch of the character described comprising'an insulating base, a covering member formed in two sections hinged to Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

each other, both of said sections being de tachably connected to the base, contact mem bers disposed upon the face of the base in spaced relation, there being openings through the base for the insertion of wires into engagement With the contact members, the middle portion of one of said sections of the covering member being outwardly protuberant and having a central opening, a housing member detachably disposed in said opening and extending toward said base, the housingimember having a contracted neck at its inner end and having its outer end outwardly flanged to bear against the edge wall of said opening, a plunger extending through the housing member and carrying a contact at its inner end adapted to engage the contacts on the base, a button carried. upon the outer end of the plunger, a sleeve attached to the button and having telescopic engagement with the housing member, and a spring disposed within the housing member surroundingthe plunger and bearing against the button.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

- ROBERT J. JACKSON. lVitnesses H. M. MORRISON, G. EDWARD DICKERSON.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

